A black ribbon on the drapes with the coat of arms of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and on that of the small Bavarian town of Marktl, on the German-Austrian border, where Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927. The town, which has less than 2,800 inhabitants, has woke up this morning in the fog, but with the sun.
Candles were lit in the square in front of the town hall, in front of the birthplace of the pope emeritus.
St. Oswald's church, a few meters away, has been open since this morning.
Yesterday the faithful prayed here for their famous citizen.
On the walls of the church are photos of the pope emeritus' last trip to Marktl, while a black-ribboned picture of a smiling Josef Ratzinger is displayed next to the crucifix.